National Humanities Center Programs

All regular OU faculty (Tenured, Tenure-track, and Ranked Renewable Term) are eligible to apply for the NHC Summer Residency. There are no disciplinary restrictions on applicants so long as the work fits solidly within a humanistic framework.

Faculty who have been awarded a previous NHC residency are not eligible to apply.
The committee will be particularly interested in proposals the demonstrate a record of significant contribution to the University through service to students, colleagues, and the administrative tasks upon which the University depends to run.

Proposals must be single spaced and use a font of 11 points or larger. Page margins should be 1” on all four sides.

Please be certain that you have included all required components, in order. Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Proposals must include each of the following components and be submitted as a single PDF file. Email completed applications to <humanities.forum@ou.edu> with the subject line “[LAST NAME] – NHC SUMMER APPLICATION”.

APPLICATION COMPONENTS

1. Three-page Project Narrative (limited to 3 pages, formatted as described above):
   Keep in mind that your proposal will be read by a diverse group of faculty across the arts and humanities disciplines, some of whom might have limited knowledge about your proposed project. Therefore, the project narrative should keep jargon to a minimum. The following four sections (A-D) should be clearly delineated in the Project Narrative:
   • SECTION A) Significance and contribution: Describe the significance of the proposed project. Write an overview of the project, with special attention to the main research questions or problems you are investigating. What is your main argument (or arguments)? Importantly, explain how your proposed project draws inspiration from existing scholarship and joins relevant scholarly conversations in your field. How will your project contribute to the development of knowledge or expand creative activity in your field? Give specific examples of the various lines of work with which you are in dialogue and which you are seeking to advance. However, when writing this section, please keep in mind that you are writing about these conversations for an audience of scholars outside your field, so make sure your response is legible across broad audiences in the humanities.
   • SECTION B) Organization of the Project. For book projects, explain how the final manuscript will be organized, including brief chapter outlines. For other kinds of projects, make sure the committee understands how your scholarly effort around the project is organized (eg. Paratextual materials for a translation work, technologies developed for a computational humanities project, etc.).
     • Provide a complete timeline for the project, and make clear the current project status. Describe in detail the portion of the project that will be supported by the fellowship, The committee is looking for clearly stated and achievable project milestones. If the NHC Residency supported time will not take a project to completion, explain your plan for finishing the work.
   • SECTION C) Final product and circulation. Explain the intended project outcome(s), with special attention to plans for publication/circulation. If the project has a digital component/outcomes, indicate how that digital project will be sustained beyond the period of the grant.
     
   • SECTION D) Impact of the Residency. In a few sentences, please explain how the summer residency would advance your project and benefit your overall career trajectory.
2. Bibliography (2 page limit): In addition to sources directly cited in the proposal, include in your bibliography any primary and secondary sources that relate directly to your project. The committee will be reviewing the bibliography for relevant works not only to your topical specialization but also to your theoretical and/or methodological approach. The bibliography must not exceed two pages, with formatting specifications consistent with the rest of the proposal (above).
3. Curriculum Vitae (limit 2 pages): Submit a two-page curriculum vitae. The committee is particularly interested in reviewing your vita for information that will help establish your competency for successfully completing the proposed project with the funding requested.

Proposals must include each of the following components and be submitted as a single PDF file. Email completed applications to <humanities.forum@ou.edu> with the subject line “[LAST NAME] - NHC SUMMER APPLICATION”.

The Forum's Faculty Advisory Committee will review all submitted materials and select successful applications. The committee will consider the following evaluation criteria in making the award selections:

• Creative approach or scholarly originality (overall significance of the project, including its value to arts and humanities scholars, general audiences, or both).
• Quality of the conception, definition, organization, and intended outcomes of the project.
• Feasibility and appropriateness of the proposed plan of work.
• Impact of the residency on the scholar's career trajectory, with emphasis on the applicant's record of sustained service to students, colleagues, and the university.
  

Proposals that are complete and meet the guidelines will be sent to Kimberly Marshall, Faculty Director of the OU Arts & Humanities Forum, to determine whether any conflicts of interest exist between those submitting the proposal and members of the Forum's Faculty Advisory Committee. The Committee will use the same conflict of interest policies employed by the Research Council. The reviews, discussion, and vote regarding all NHC Summer Residency applications are held in strict confidence by the Arts & Humanities Forum Faculty Advisory Committee.The proposals will be evaluated on the following scale

1. = Outstanding: project and applicant are in all respects outstanding.
2. = Very good: project and applicant are strong and highly competitive.
3. = Good: project and applicant are good, but there are one or two weaknesses or limitations in meeting the scoring criteria.
4. = Fair: project and/or applicant show potential, but some improvements/revisions may be necessary.
5. = Marginal: project and/or applicant are below average, with weaknesses along the scoring criteria outlined above.

Due to space limitations, OU will only be allowed to send ONE (1) scholar to an NHC Summer residency for 2024. Unsuccessful applications for 2024 will recieve anonymous committee feedback on how to strengthen their applications for future submissions.

Recipients of the NHC Summer Residency are subject to the following requirements:

• Representing OU at the NHC Summer Residency in Person. This residency takes place during the summer, and in-person attendance and good conduct during the residency is expected because the selected applicant is representing OU.
• Reporting. The scholar is required to submit a 1-2 page final report to the Faculty Director, OU Arts & Humanities Forum by September 30 of the year following the award. This report should describe the impacts of the project on the following: the field of study, the artist’s or scholar’s research/creative activity program, the arts and humanities at OU, and the university as a whole.
• Acknowledging OU Support. All written publications (whether in hard copy or electronic form) that have benefited from an NHC Summer Residency must contain acknowledgment of the support of OU and the OU Arts & Humanities Forum.
• Publicity. Selected Summer Fellows will appear on the Forum’s website.